Rose Rasmalai is a decadent and rich homemade dessert flavored with Rose that is gorgeous as well as delicious that always brightens the mood. The juicy and spongy fresh cottage cheese balls are dunked in a creamy sweetened rose milk. Serve chill with some chopped pistachios and almonds.
WHAT IS RASMALAI?
Rasmalai is a very popular Bengali (Indian) dessert. ‘Ras’ (रस) means juice and ‘malai’ means fresh cream. In this dish, ‘Malai’ ( मलाई ) is flattened cottage cheese balls cooked in sugar syrup and then later soaked in rich thick and creamy milk syrup known as ‘ras’.
Rasmalai, a very popular Bengali delicacy is prepared from cottage cheese patties cooked in sugar syrup and soaked in rich and creamy thickened milk, flavoured with saffron and cardamom powder. Traditionally whole milk is boiled for a long time stirring regularly until milk reduces to almost one third of its original quantity. Rasmalai is considered as royal sweet in India, often served in weddings and other parties, it is one of the most preferred dessert during festive season. It tastes best when served chillied and garnished with dry fruits.
HOW TO MAKE ROSE RASMALAI?
To prepare rasmalai balls:
Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the flame and then start adding vinegar till milk curdles completely.
Place a cheese cloth over a colander, and over a bowl if you want to save the whey. When completely cooled, gently pour and strain. Let the curds drain, and gently rinse with lukewarm water (to remove vinegar)
Gather the ends of the cheesecloth together, resisting the temptation to squeeze the water out – and let it drain naturally for 20 minutes.
Add cornflour and start kneading the chena until it’s soft and smooth it will takes around 10 mins. Once it’s smooth, make small balls out of it.
Heat 1 cup sugar and 4 cups water in a wide pan and wait till it comes to a full boil.Then add the rose water and rose syrup.
Drop the balls in boiling sugar syrup and cook for 15 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the balls as it will double in size while cooking.
To prepare ras(flavored milk) :
In a heavy bottom pan, boil milk over a low flame and stir continuously at regular intervals.
Once the milk comes to a boil, add add sugar and mix. Simmer for 20-25 minutes till the milk thicken to desired consistency,then add rose syrup and crushed cardamom.
Also add finely chopped nuts. Mix and switch off the flame.
Once the thickened milk is cooled down for 5 mins(should be warm),add the cooled rasmalai balls from the sugar syrup, squeeze and flatten with your hands.
Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for 5-6 hours. Garnish with chopped pistachios before serving.
WHICH MILK IS BEST TO MAKE RASMALAI?
Always use full cream/whole milk to make rasmalai. The low fat or fat free ones will not give you good results.
TIPS FOR SOFT RASMALAI:
- Use full cream/whole milk to make rasmalai and check that it is not UHT (Ultra High Temperature Pasteurized). . Low fat or fat free will not give good results.
- Don’t squeeze the chena too hard, do leave little water,else it will become dry and resulting rasmalai balls will not be soft.
- Proper kneading of chena is required, so that can make a smooth balls out of it.Your rasmalai balls should be smooth and crack free when you dip it in the milk.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan with chena balls,as it will double in size while cooking.
- Always use 4:1 water to sugar ratio for prefect syrup consistency. The balls should not touch the bottom of the pan.
HOW TO STORE RASMALAI?
Rasmalai stays good in an airtight container for about a week in the refrigerator, but if you still have leftovers it can be freezes in an airtight container.
Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or let it come to the room temperature on its own and serve it the next day without reheating, as this dessert tastes delicious when cold. Just mix it properly using a spoon, before serving.
WHAT MAKES RASMALAI HARD?
Either over kneading of dough or boiling it for a longer time, are some of the reasons that makess your rasmalai hard. So make sure you knead properly for 10 minutes to get smooth and soft rasmalai.
Check my Instant Rasmalai Recipe,
For Other Indian Desserts,
Are you making this recipe? Then don’t forget to like and leave your comments for this recipe! I LOVE to see your creations so snap a photo and tag BlendOfSpicesbySara on Instagram with the hashtag #blendofspicesbysara
Reach out to me at blendofspicesbysara@gmail.com and also you can follow me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM ,PINTEREST,TWITTER to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Rose Rasmalai
Ingredients
For Chena Balls:
- 2 liter whole milk
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp corn flour
For Sugar Syrup:
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 1 tbsp rose syrup
For the ras:
- 1 liter whole milk
- 5-6 green cardamom crushed
- 2 tbsp rose syrup
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp pistachios finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cashew finely chopped
- 1 tbsp almonds finely chopped
Instructions
To prepare rasmalai balls:
- Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the flame and then start adding vinegar till milk curdles completely.
- Place a cheese cloth over a colander, and over a bowl if you want to save the whey.
- When completely cooled, gently pour and strain. Let the curds drain, and gently rinse with lukewarm water (to remove vinegar)
- Gather the ends of the cheesecloth together, resisting the temptation to squeeze the water out – and let it drain naturally for 20 minutes.
- Add corn flour and start kneading the chena until it’s soft and smooth it will takes around 10 mins. Once it’s smooth, make small balls out of it.
- Heat 1 cup sugar and 4 cups water in a wide pan and wait till it comes to a full boil. Then add the rose water and rose syrup.
- Drop the balls in boiling sugar syrup and cook for 15 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the balls as it will double in size while cooking.
To prepare ras(flavored milk) :
- In a heavy bottom pan, boil milk over a low flame and stir continuously at regular intervals.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, add add sugar and mix. Simmer for 20-25 minutes till the milk thicken to desired consistency, then add rose syrup and crushed cardamom.
- Also add finely chopped nuts. Mix and switch off the flame.
- Once the thickened milk is cooled down for 5 mins(should be warm),add the cooled rasmalai balls from the sugar syrup, squeeze and flatten with your hands.
- Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for 5-6 hours. Garnish with chopped pistachios before serving.
Notes
Don’t squeeze the chena too hard, do leave little water,else it will become dry and resulting rasmalai balls will not be soft.
Proper kneading of chena is required, so that can make a smooth balls out of it.Your rasmalai balls should be smooth and crack free when you dip it in the milk.
Dont overcrowd the pan with chena balls,as it will double in size while cooking.
Always use 4:1 water to sugar ratio for prefect syrup consistency. The balls should not touch the bottom of the pan.
[…] Rose Rasmalai […]